Chasing My Tail
by The Young and Free Dragon
Summary: Everyone in Happy Tree Town is paired and happy. But what if one little porcupine isn't? And what if she decides to break the chain? What if someone will do anything to stop her from changing? Slight horror. Flaky paired with anyone. Not decided yet.
1. Prologue: Long Form

**Alright so this story is full of different pairings and none are yet decided. Please enjoy and review. Warning song used for chapter may be found offensive by some viewers. This chapter also includes my theory of the Tree friends' regeneration.**

CHASING MY TAIL

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

Der Wahnsinn  
ist nur eine schmale Brücke  
die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb  
ich steig dir nach

(Insanity  
is only a narrow bridge  
the banks are reason and desire  
I'm after you)

-_Du Riechst So Gut _by Rammstein

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PROLOGUE: LONG FORM

Entre tus piernas voy a llorar  
Feliz y triste voy a estar  
Feliz y triste voy a estar

(Between your legs I'm going to cry  
I'm going to be happy and sad  
I'm going to be happy and sad)

-_To Quiero Puta! _by Rammstein

Flaky awoke slowly, her head feeling warm. A lot of times she got this feeling when she was regenerating. Waking up right during the last stretch of regeneration was often disturbing. She could do almost anything. She could chop off any part of her body, fatal or not, and it would grow back. It was strange, and some of the other tree friends used it to their stupid advantage. This was how the gang had come back to life on Halloween. Somehow, they had managed to wake up during regeneration, not just the last bit, but the entire thing. Their wounds had stayed, but they were alive, and basically couldn't be killed.

She was in her bed thankfully. Waking up during regeneration, had she been buried would have been terrifying. Regeneration began with the rapid decomposing of the body, and half way through, a new body began to form. The new body often formed in the owner's house, in random places. This fact had never been explained. Sniffles had managed to figure out the other parts, but that still confused him.

Flaky sat up and drew her legs over the side of the bed. They were shaky, and the warmth in her head gave her the impression she might pass out. But she got out of bed anyway, stumbling into the living room and sitting down on the couch. Now came the part she hated. The memories. They would always return last, and she could remember her last seconds of life. But her mind was blank. Only the warmth in her head answered her thoughts. But one memory did return. The realization. The realization of her diverse love. She cringed as she sat on the couch, and felt tears of fear stinging her eyes. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. Happy Tree Town had everything decided. Giggles and Cuddles, Flippy and Flaky, Petunia and Toothy. But the fact of the matter was that it was not decided. Flaky found herself in love with more than just Flippy. Cuddles, maybe Toothy, and worst of all, Petunia.

She shuddered, lying down on her side. The fact of her town's strict rules against such things scared her more than anything. Well of course the town was alright with any kind of pairing, perhaps even homosexual, but that was not the problem. It was that everyone expected her to be with Flippy. If anything, she wanted the right to decide to choose Flippy or Cuddles. Of course, she wasn't sure if Cuddles was as high up as Flippy, but he had begun to score points over the past year or so. And Petunia had been nice to Flaky ever since she had arrived, which had slowly built a temple to her. But of course, she couldn't just come out and say that she might be bisexual.

For one thing, she'd be frightened of what everyone would think, and for another, everyone thought she was straight. If anything, they would expect you to come out and say it when you arrived. But, she hoped she was not bisexual. It was just a small feeling in her gut right? Something that would disappear over time.

And other issues arose as well. If she decided she was in love with Cuddles, that would be a problem. Giggles was a very good friend, but Flaky suspected that she would turn into a pink bitch, if the prospect of losing Cuddles was revealed. And of course, Flaky didn't want to take Cuddles away… but then again she doubted she could. She was always down on her looks, and that's all anyone cared about anymore… mostly anyway. Cuddles and Flippy both seemed to like her for her personality, but she didn't see how either could bare to be with her, if they had to look at her body everyday…

But Flippy had been basically paired with her. Whatever mistake, it was his fault. But that never felt right. She sighed and pulled a blanket over her body, even though she was not cold. She was actually very hot, but she liked blankets. When dealing with anxiety as strong as she had it, blankets were a source of comfort. They covered you in warmth, and didn't go away. They had no mind so they would not walk away simply because of your looks. They would not leave you alone.

To Flaky, everything was alive, because she didn't want to be alone. This fear spawned an imagination so great that she knew it was silly, but couldn't help it. And so, she liked to think that her posters could hear her as she sang to herself. She was all alone and this was the only way she could feel any sort of embrace. But it was never enough.

There was a knock at her door. She jumped, but quickly regained her breath. She was used to this kind of a scare. She stood up slowly and went over to the door. She kept a knife on the drawer next to the door just in case… She opened it and looked out.

"Hello?" She called.

It was a cold, foggy morning. Nothing could be seen past her mailbox, and no person was in sight. Something caught her eye, and she looked down to see a package there on the doorstep. She picked it up and closed the door.

"Lumpy must've been in a hurry." She murmured to herself.

She suddenly wondered why the puppy that lived around her house had not gotten after Lumpy. The small brown dog of some unknown species (to her) usually chased anyone who came near the house. It loved Flaky though, and seemed rather fond of Cuddles. It was afraid of Flippy (she could understand that). She sat the box down on the table and used one of her longer quills to slice the tape that held the tabs closed. This was difficult to do, but it was faster than anything else. She opened the box slowly.

Seeing one of her own quills detached was not a horrifying sight. It happened often. But she screamed when she looked inside. Her question had been answered. Inside the box was the small pup, horribly mangled. Its eyes were gone, leaving empty sockets staring up at her. Its claws had been torn out and stuck into its back in a pattern around one of her quills, which was stabbed into the pup's flesh and was sticking out of its chest. The body looked dry of blood. She continued screaming, knocking it off the table. The box collapsed, covering the dog, but a small scrap of paper escaped and floated down in front of her. She huddled against the couch, covering everything but her eyes with the blanket. She stared in fear at the box for several long minutes before slowly inching toward the paper.

She snatched it up and retreated quickly back to the couch, as though the dog might come back to life and attack. But it did no such thing. She kept her eyes on the box for a few more minutes before retreating into her bedroom, locking the door, and cuddling into the bed with her stuffed bear. She then looked at the note.

_Porcupine,_

_Look at my artwork and tell me what you see. Speak aloud, for I am everywhere and can hear you, even your hard panting breaths. I can feel your sweat running down your body, and I can touch your quills as they rise up in fear._

She shuddered and snuggled deeper into the covers.

_This little token I have sent you is a reminder. Look at this in memory of me, and in memory of what you are. An ugly, filthy creature. Would anyone love this creature? Would anyone feel anything more for this pathetic thing besides pity? Remember that not even its own species would touch it in life, and think of what they see now._

She crumpled the letter and threw it in the trash. She quickly yanked the phone from the bedside table into the nest of covers she had made, and shakily tapped out Cuddles' number.

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**Anyway, leave a review for my inner Nutty, and let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 1: Someone's Watching Me

**Here's the next chapter, thanks for the reviews guys!**

CHASING MY TAIL

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

das Sonnenlicht den Geist verwirrt  
ein blindes Kind das vorwärts kriecht  
weil es seine Mutter riecht

Ich finde dich

(the sunlight confuses the mind  
a blind child that crawls forward  
because it smells its mother

I find you)

-_Du Riechst So Gut _by Rammstein

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CHAPTER ONE: SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME

You've fallen asleep in denial

Look at the way we're dyin'

How it ends, I'll never know

Just live your life blind like me

-_Blinded in Chains _by Avenged Sevenfold

"Are you sure it was real?" Cuddles voice came through the receiver for the fourth time. Flaky heaved a annoyed sigh.

"Yes I'm sure! What the hell am I going to do?" She shouted.

"Calm down, Flaky." Cuddles cooed. "It's probably just a joke."

"What kind of sicko does that for a joke?" She cried.

"I don't know, there are a bunch of twisted bastards out there." She could feel him shrugging.

"I don't care if it's a joke!" She screamed, tears trailing down her face. "It really hurt me, Cuddles."

"Okay, okay," He sighed, his voice tired but filled with concern. "I'll be over there soon."

* * *

"Do you recognize the handwriting?" Cuddles asked Petunia as the blue skunk scanned the paper. They had had Handy clean up the mess and Cuddles had brought Giggles and Petunia with him. Though Handy had left, Flaky hadn't been expecting a crowd. She'd actually wanted comfort from a male. Not in that way, mind you, but she just wanted the rough, raw comfort of the opposite sex.

"Not at all." Petunia said.

"Damn." Cuddles murmured, crossing his arms and looking down at his bunny slippers with a thoughtful frown.

Flaky wasn't sure how to say get out to the other girls, without being rude. She wasn't even sure she could do it with confidence. But the only thing she could think of, without Giggles being suspicious, was to as ask to see him alone.

"Cuddles?" Flaky asked timidly.

"Yeah?" He replied without looking up.

"Can I see you in private for a moment?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure." He replied, looking up.

She grabbed his arm quickly and led him into her room. She received a strange look from Giggles and decided to leave the door open and drag the rabbit into the closet so that they could talk privately without arousing any unwanted attention. She pulled him in and shut the door. It was pitch black and as she fumbled for the light, she grabbed Cuddles' shoulder.

Suddenly, she was having a panic attack, her heart racing, sweat pouring down her fur, and an overwhelming urge to scream. She knew Cuddles was there, but being in the dark with only one other person, just in front of her… It brought fantasies of the murderer outside. She bit into her lip and continued fumbling.

"Uh, Flaky?" Cuddles' voice said, right beside her.

"Y-yes…?" She asked, straining her eyes in the dark for the switch. No luck whatsoever.

"I'm kinda involved with Giggles…"

"T-that… That's not why I wanted to see you." She said, blushing despite herself.

"Well, if you want to do that, where's the switch?"

She giggled nervously. "I don't know, I'm sorry…"

"I…er… okay." He said, a little weary of her.

"It's just that… I kinda just wanted to see you… Not in that way. I know what you're thinking, but you have a special way of comforting me… I was hoping you could do that."

"So Giggles told you of my "special way"…?" He said in a fake suave way.

She blushed and giggled a little.

"I mean really…" She was cut off as she was suddenly drug into his arms.

She panicked at first but then realized her head was against his chest and he was only hugging her as he often did. She relaxed into the hug as he held her.

"Oh, dear Flaky," He said, with a slow wistful tone. "When are you going to learn the ways of this town?"

"I see violence and gore everyday," She murmured. "But I can never get used to it like you guys. I'm never going to be numb to it. Plus, we have accidents around here."

"Well, you should never be numb to violence," He replied, solemnly. "You lose part of your being when that happens. You can handle violence, but it should never be something you watch and aren't even phased by."

"Okay, but still… who would do this?" She asked.

"I don't know. It's too extreme to be Toothy, or me for that matter, and I don't know of anyone else around here who plays pranks."

"Then it must be real!" Flaky said, closing her eyes and burrowing into his fur. Tears were rolling against his warm pelt.

"But we don't know of anyone who would do anything like this either." He said.

"So we have two options," She said. "Either someone is playing a prank on me, or there's a psycho after me."

"I'd say a prank is more likely," He said, but he felt her exasperated sob against his chest and sighed. "But I will check to see if anyone else is being terrorized."

"Thanks," She said, and he felt her smile. "You're a great friend Cuddles."

He smiled as well. "Thanks."

They were silent for a moment and just enjoyed the electricity of true friendship. Then suddenly, the lights came on and Flaky looked up to see Cuddles smiling.

"Found the switch." He smirked.

She smiled and then as her eyes drifted over his shoulder she began to shake. He looked at her in confusion, and turned himself so that he was at her side. There on the wall was red script, splattered and dotted on the wood wall.

"How Cute"

It read. They stared at it for a moment and Flaky gripped tightly onto Cuddles, fear pulsing through her body. Cuddles noticed something below it, and grabbed it. An envelop with nothing on it but "Rabbit" written in blood.

He opened it slowly and pulled the paper out. It was pen on the inside, but a few speckles of blood were at the corners and top of the page.

_Rabbit,_

_I see you have a way with words. Porcupine seems to take great comfort in your confidence. Somehow, I find your methods lacking. Could it be that you are too cocky? Maybe you'd like to find out just what I do know and who I really am? I left you a surprise at home, so look at it, if you'd like to know more about me._

_I can feel that little prickle of fear on your fur. And I know what you're thinking. Does it not seem like I'm writing this as you read it?_

_

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_

**Please review my friends.**


	3. Chapter 2: Lottery Winner

**And so the plot is thickening… have any of you guessed at who the stalker is? And yes, the song used is written in the exact way it is spoken. No typo.**

CHASING MY TAIL

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

Die Spur ist frisch und auf die Brücke  
tropft dein Schweiß dein warmes Blut  
ich seh dich nicht  
ich riech dich nur ich spüre Dich

(The track is fresh and on the bridge  
drops your sweat, your warm blood  
I don't see you  
I only smell you, I sense you)

-_Du Riechst So Gut _by Rammstein

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CHAPTER TWO: LOTTERY WINNER

Come with me

Into de trees

We lay on de grass

And let hours pass

Take my hand

Come back to de land

Where everything's ours

For a few hours

-_Stripped _by Rammstein

The others did not let Cuddles go without a fight, but he managed to get away from them. He didn't tell Flaky what the letter said; only that he may have found a clue. He didn't want to leave her in the hysterical state she was in when he had left, but he had to. But the truth of the matter was that he was feeling rather terrified. The thought of what was at his house was among one of the scariest things he could imagine. It had crossed his mind more than once that the stalker might be lying in wait but so what? He would be killed and come back. But that didn't bring much comfort. His house was his kingdom, but it shouldn't have to be a fortress.

He sighed a heavy, shaky sigh as he put his key into his lock opened the door. It appeared normal at a glance, except for the fact that he had left the lights on and they were now off. He didn't think this was a slip, so much as he thought it was the stalker mocking him. He stepped inside looking around carefully. Nothing. He tried the light switch. The lights did not come on. He sighed and grabbed a kitchen knife and began searching. He went through the living room, bathroom, kitchen, closets, everywhere except for his bedroom. The whole time he suspected that whatever was left was in his bedroom, but fear made the logic that he should check everywhere instead of listen to his instincts. He eased up to the door and opened it.

He saw nothing out of the ordinary at first and then, the thing on the bed became horribly clear. Pop did not look as though he had been killed easily, he looked like he had been killed by what was in him now, and his face seemed to show that he had been awake until the last pinch of pain. Cuddles' eyes burned with tears as he looked at his dead friend, and thought of what he must have gone through. He rubbed Pop's sunken shoulder, looking over Flaky's spines which had been randomly jammed into his body, and his chest was open. Just like the dog, he seemed drained of blood. No stains were on the bed.

But possibly worst of all was little Cub, who lay in his side his father's chest. All organs had been removed so that Cub could fit inside the rib cage, and a small heart was drawn in dried blood in his chest. He eased the small bear out of the bone cage and held him. He was still alive, but his face was red and wet from crying. He didn't look to have suffered any psychical damage, but looks were deceiving. He continued to look over Cub, until he found the small hands were holding tightly to a letter. He unhooked the letter, while sitting on the bed next to Pop, and cradling the child in his lap. He looked at the letter and saw the same writing. _Rabbit. _He opened it and pulled out the paper:

_This is not great artwork, only a bit of a hint to you. Your friend here was not much sport to kill, though he has a delicious scream. His son is very smart, unlike him. The little tyke knew when his father was in trouble, and so I let him watch as I killed his parent. The boy is not hurt in any way, unless you account the mental scars. He has not been molested, except for his mind, which has been raped by horror._

_You may wonder about this strange killing, though you do not know much of my artwork. I killed the old man in this way because he called me a "bastard" when I attacked Cub. That gave me the idea to do to his child what he had called me. Not very clever, or subtle, but he is now a bastard. I'm sure you know the non-insulting definition of the word. In any case, the clues you will find about me, are the bond between these two, and the facts about your house that are facts about my life. _

_You see, Pop and Cub are secluded, except for you, their only friend. (Though I bet my killing talents that the boy will be popular among the ladies once he is older. Such a handsome fellow.) Am I friends with you? Perhaps, but you'll have to figure that out. But I'm sure you know me. Now, I do have many friends around this town, but none of them truly know me, except for porcupine, who isn't aware she knows. Notice your house was untouched except for the lights. Think of it this way, since you have yet to open your mind to my ways; I blunder around in the darkness of the world, because I cannot see past my own heart shaped nose. But of all the terrible things I do, I can see into the lives of others, and make a family, true blooded. _

_

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_

Flippy gasped as blood fell from his mouth, and added to the pool at his feet. He fell to his knees, gripping the spear like object that had been lodged into his stomach. His intestines were on fire, as though an infection was burning through the fibers of lacerated flesh. In the darkness, he could not see his attacker, and his quickly fading life caused his vision to blur, and he could not see any outline, only a blob of a figure. It reached out and touched his face, scratching something into his left cheek. His face warmed as the blood that ran into the area spilled out on his face. The attacker retracted its hand and licked the blood from its finger. It then pushed a claw into Flippy's forehead. He winced and looked up in fear and terror.

"Who- who are you?" He gasped.

"You don't recognize me?" It asked, shaking its head in what seemed to be mild amusement. "Well, you'll know me in time."

"Please don't kill me…" Flippy begged.

The creature tapped Flippy's temple with the pointer finger that was not inside of his forehead.

"C'mon Flippy, you know I have to do this," The voice appeared male. "But your history of attacking people will make a great background to the art I will make. You gave me great inspiration, Flips."

_Flips. _Only his closest friends called him Flips. He cried out as the claw dug about his forehead. The thing opened the curtains with its free hand, and moon light bathed its fur in yellow and pink, so many bright colors, that Flippy could not describe with his eyes, but it seemed the creature was a moving painting.

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**Please review, my friends.**


	4. Chapter 3: Damaging Ruin

**This chapter contains some sensuality, viewer discretion is advised. I've always wanted to say that. But it's true. So this is a very early update. This story has become a lot of fun to write, damn it…**

CHASING MY TAIL

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

ein Raubtier das vor Hunger schreit  
wittere ich dich meilenweit

(a predator that screams of hunger  
I track you for miles by scent)

-_Du Riechst So Gut _by Rammstein

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CHAPTER THREE: DAMAGING RUIN

Well you'll work harder  
With a gun in your back  
For a bowl of rice a day  
Slave for soldiers  
Till you starve  
Then your head is skewered on a stake

-_Holiday in Cambodia _by the Dead Kennedys

Flaky knew the science of the body. She had learned much of it from Sniffles. She could understand the fear that Cuddles felt inside, how seeing what had been done to Pop and Cub had been a basic threat to his life. She understood it all. But she never had the life affirming urge for sex as most did. Despite her already feeling helpless about her relationships, she never felt that way. Cuddles on the other hand… At the time she had felt great pity and already she liked Cuddles but as she lay there beside him, it still didn't seem right.

She unhooked herself from his body and walked uncomfortably into the bathroom, pulsing blood was still warm from her earlier activities. She flipped on the light and closed the door so the bright rays would not disturbed Cuddles, since they had been in total darkness for hours. Her eyes took some minutes to adjust and finally when they became clear, she was frightened by what she saw in the mirror. A red porcupine that had always followed her in that other world of reflective glass was ravaged, though not in the usual sense.

Her fur was pulled back and standing on end, her quills followed suit. Her flesh was exposed in many places where Cuddles had buried his mouth into and kissed, and she had a very large hickey on the left side of her neck that she couldn't cover with fur. She spent close to an hour brushing down hair and quills. After the long work, she had managed to fix herself up overall but the hickey was still visible and she needed a shower because her fur stank of lust and passion. But she thought it would be rude to just use Cuddles' bath. As she stood there, thinking of how to clean herself, her question was answered as the bathroom door opened and there stood Cuddles. She stared at him for a moment, wondering what he was going to think. He stared at her with half lidded eyes and his eyes slowly moved down her, pausing once between her legs (which made her blush) and then to his own feet.

He stumbled forward; apparently too sleepy to really register anything. She giggled a little. She noticed that his manhood had not fully retracted yet and she was again covered with a deep blush. He suddenly turned around, staring at her and she knew he had realized what was in front of him. He panicked for a few seconds and suddenly the memory came back. She nibbled at her pinky finger for a moment in nervousness as he looked at her and then his red cheeks blushed deeper than a setting sun.

"You-… we-… we had…" He stammered.

"I-I-I believe so…" She said shakily.

"I…er… do you want to take a shower?" He asked.

"Y-yes please."

He stepped aside and she climbed in. She saw his paw on the curtain and figured he was going to draw the curtain, but instead he stepped inside with her.

"W-what are you doing?" She whimpered.

"Well… can't we take a shower together, considering we're no more exposed to one another than we already are?"

"I… er… I guess…"

He reached over her and turned on the water. They were silent as they bathed. She finished before he did and stepped out and grabbed a towel. She quickly dried off without putting too many holes in the fabric from her quills. After a thousand apologies, she went back into the dark room. The sun was beginning to rise and she looked out at the beautiful scene. She felt pretty good despite the fact that her throat was soar from crying out and she was still a little shaky on her legs.

As she watched, she heard a smashing sound in the bathroom and the door opened. She turned to see what had happened, but the light went out and suddenly, paws grabbed her arms and turned her toward the window. Her stomach was churning in fear as she looked out the window, struggling a little bit as paws held her fast.

"I've found you, dear porcupine…" A cold male voice whispered.

"Who are you?" She whispered back, in fear that he might kill her if she screamed.

"Spoilers," He murmured, half amused. "But you do know me."

"Please, leave me alone!"

"I am the "who" when you call; "Who's there?"

I am the wind blowing through your hair

I am the shadow on the moon at night

Feeling your dreams to the brim with fright." He quoted.** ***

"She recognized this from the first movie to have ever scared her. A movie that she never would watch again. She was shaking in terror as the thing patted her arm.

"There, there," The male thing murmured. "It was only a movie… Or so you're told."

She began shaking even harder as she thought of this creature. It _was_ just a movie, but the terror overrode all her sensible thoughts.

"I am the Van Gogh of your time." **** **He whispered. "I bring with me, dreams upon a starry night, and nightmares upon an autumn landscape in the hour of dusk. And you my dear Porcupine are the Agostina Segatori of my art. You serve many purposes in my art, and you will become a fantastic work."

"W-where's Cuddles…?"

"Oh, porcupine," The thing murmured, almost wistfully. "He is always safe when I am around. You should fear for yourself when he is around."

"W-what do you mean?" She whimpered.

"You should ask him yourself, after all, he's closer to me than he even realizes."

She felt something wet against her arm and was filled with even worse dread. She looked down, and in the morning light, she saw it was red, but unlike normal blood, it was almost like pastel, but warm and alive with life of a painting or work of art that had not yet been created.

"A-are you hurt?" She asked.

"Your friend put up a small fight." He said, simply.

"Do you want me to dress your wounds?" She asked, hoping that this would heighten her chances of living or at least let her get a look at her stalker.

"Ha, how I would love for you to look upon me," He said. "But I am not yet ready for you to see me. You are not yet ready."

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked, tears rolling down her face.

"No, my dear," He said. "Though, no matter how tempting it may be, you are not ready to become the beautiful art you are. But, I have left you a little present outside." He replied, his left paw leaving her arm to point toward a place in the tree line which was too dark to see. "I must leave you now." He said, and suddenly, he was no longer there.

She turned quickly, but saw nothing there. She saw a small trail of blood from the bathroom, to her, but it ended there. She heard no noise for a long time, and finally she raced into the bathroom. She saw Cuddles on the ground, blood in a large pool about him, his head smashed open. Bits of flesh and brains clung to the counter where he had been killed. She sat beside him and cried for longer than she was aware of before finally realizing the sun was completely showing from behind the trees outside. She somehow, just knew this information. She slowly stood up and went to the window. On a tree, the largest of them all, was a figure, hanging, swaying slightly.

* * *

She almost didn't recognize the poor bear as she stepped toward the tree. She was but five feet from the hanging body, and her own was shaking violently in fear. Flippy was hanging on the first tree from the right of the pathway opening, which went straight into the woods. She stared at him, and he stared back. His eyes were wide with horror, one eye yellow-green and the other normal. Several symbols were carved into his flesh, and he was dry of blood. As she backed away from the sight, she realized that this was a complete mirror of; "Avenue in Voyer d'Argenson Park at Asineres" with Flippy as some kind of hideous doodle on the painting.

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***It's not normally my style to make illusions in my stories, but as you may or may not know, this is from the song; "This Is Halloween" in the movie "Nightmare Before Christmas". The song is the respected property of the owners.**

****Once again, not my style, but seeing as how he refers to himself as an artist, I thought the illusion of the great artist; Vincent Van Gogh would be a good comparison in his terms. He is obviously nothing compared to the real person.**

**All paintings and other things that were mentioned are Vincent Van Gogh paintings. The reason I used his work is because he is above all my favorite artist, and the hardships he faced in life made this work well with the story. His beautiful paintings also made a great opposite to the stalker's hideous artwork. View would like to view the paintings and other references mentioned in the story, ask in a review or PM me for a free website to view such things. **

**Please review.**


	5. Chapter 4: In Time

**The next chapter. Please enjoy. This chapter contains very brief female/female which may or may not be repeated, considering on the pairing that is chosen. **

CHASING MY TAIL

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

Du riechst so gut  
du riechst so gut  
ich geh dir hinterher  
du riechst so gut

(You smell so good  
you smell so good  
I follow you  
you smell so good)

-_Du Riechst so Gut _by Rammstein

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CHAPTER FOUR: IN TIME

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me  
How you suffered for your sanity  
How you tried to set them free  
They would not listen, they're not listening still  
Perhaps they never will...

-_Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) _by Don McLean

Flaky sat and looked at her feet as she listened to the sounds of the rope and branch creaking as Flippy was let down. She wasn't sure just how she felt. All the horror had almost become numbing, and she was still exhausted from sex with Cuddles. She thought that the only reason she wasn't having another panic attack was that she was too tired to think very clearly. She stood though, before they were about to take Flippy's body to be buried.

"Can you send him to the morgue first?" She asked Sniffles.

"We only have the morgue for murder victims." Sniffles replied.

"This _is_ a murder!" Flaky suddenly felt rage at how Sniffles was treating Flippy's death as though it were nothing at all… of course in this town it wasn't. But that didn't weaken the anger.

"Not exactly, I've seen suicide cases like this before." Sniffles replied.

"Look at the marks on his body!" She said pointing to the cuts.

The cuts were in fact, swastikas to the naked eye, but a deeper meaning was rooted beneath them, though there was no such thing as Nazis in Happy Tree Valley.

"These are ancient markings," Sniffles replied. "I don't quite remember what the symbol is called, but it is often drawn (or for harsh believers) cut into the skin of a body or a living person to ward off evil spirits. Many of the believers do it to themselves."

"You're saying he cut himself and then hanged himself?"

"Looks like."

"What about his blood being gone?"

"He may have other people who believe. Sometimes, it is thought that demons can still enter through cuts, but that if the blood is gone, then they have no way to travel to the heart and take them over, or tarnish their afterlife. Anymore questions?"

Flaky just glared at Sniffles and walked away toward Cuddles' house. Even though it was not hers, she was too weary to be afraid or feel anything much past exhaustion. She stumbled into the bedroom. Cuddles' body had been removed, but she somehow still felt his presence here. She figured, if any she would feel the stalker's. She fell into the bed and was quickly asleep.

* * *

"Why are you freaking over this?" Flaky asked.

"Why_ aren't _you?" petunia shouted.

"I didn't invite you over here to treat me like a little girl."

"I'm not, but you're with Flippy!" Petunia shouted.

"Everyone says so…"

"Wait until Giggles finds out!" Petunia cried.

"She won't."

"Flaky," Petunia said, calming down and sighing. "Cuddles isn't really… good at lying about things like this."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean as soon as Giggles tries to crawl in bed with him, he's going to freak out and tell her."

"You can't be sure." But Flaky's anxiety had kicked in again.

Now that she had gotten some rest, and her body had regained its strength, she felt pretty good in all aspects. She was feeling pretty accepting. But she'd gotten worked up now, the thought that Giggles would know was enough to fill her nightmares for the next few nights.

"I wish I could help you Flaky…" Petunia said sincerely, her freak out over with, and her true personality standing out as she looked at her feet.

Flaky wasn't really sure what she was doing and it felt so wrong as she lifted Petunia's chin and kissed her. She went no further than a touch of the mouth, before quickly drawing back in surprise at herself. Petunia stared at her with the same expression, though confusion and other unreadable emotions were mixed in her eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Oh shit! I'm sorry!" Flaky was crying now as she hugged her friend.

Then it occurred to her, that after that contact, it would be better to just not touch the skunk at all. She let go of her and curled up on the bed, crying, her strength gone. Petunia sat beside her and patted her shoulder.

"Er… Flaky… did you mean to do that?" She asked, more calmly than Flaky expected.

"I… I don't know…" She whimpered.

"Well… I'm not you know… sure about that kind of thing… but don't be sorry… if you feel that way about me, it's okay." She said.

Flaky pulled herself up and hugged her friend around the waist.

"Thank you… I just… I don't know who I like…"

"Is Flippy an option?"

"I… he's a good guy… but I… I can't consider him until Evil is under control… Everyone expects me to take him, and I don't know if I like him, or Cuddles, or you…"

"Well… Cuddles is kind of yours now…" Petunia replied slowly.

"It's not like that exactly…" Flaky said.

"Then what is it like?"

"Well… Sniffles has been telling me that when you're scared for your life, you often get the urge to… you know… it's like your body wants to prove its alive… or reproduce or something before its gone… And so Cuddles was feeling that way after he saw what happened to Pop and Cub… And so I came over to see how he was doing and it just… happened…"

"You were willing then?"

"I… er… well…" Flaky was covered in a hot flush. "I just felt bad for him and… well… I've never felt that way, even though my life is already endangered… even if I do come back I fear that that guy will keep chasing me."

"Who will?"

"I don't know… It's a he though… he spoke to me before I discovered Flippy."

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Petunia said in anxiety, as she pulled her friend around so she could look her in the eyes.

"No, he didn't but… he scared me… he calls himself… the "Vincent Van Gogh of our time"…"

"He certainly is not! Van Gogh is a beautiful artist. This guy is… just horrible!"

"I know but… he… he says that Cuddles knows him…"

Petunia stared at her for a moment, her mind not comprehending, and then her eyes widened as she looked on to the porcupine.

"He says… to ask Cuddles…"

"We should do so."

* * *

They were at Cuddles house as he had just formed and was not yet awake. But fear and anxiety boiled inside them as they looked upon the male. He struggled about in his sleep-like state, clawing out and grinding his teeth together. They watched him for perhaps an hour, and several times, Flaky reached out to wake him but Petunia would pull her back and shake her head.

Finally, he sat up with a shout. His eyes were wide and his fur was soaked with sweat. He looked about, and saw the girls. He let out yelp of surprise and then calmed down.

"Oh-… Oh It's you too…" He said. "W-What are you doing here?"

"We wanted to see if you were alright." Petunia said.

"Me?" He said as his breath became normal. "Why worry about me? I regenerated as normal."

"You weren't peaceful just now."

"It's… er…"

"Did you find out anything about the stalker?" Flaky interrupted. "Anything at all?"

"N-No…"

"Are you sure?"

"I think so…"

"What happened when you were in the bathroom?"

"I c-can't remember…"

"Damn it, Cuddles, think!" Flaky shouted in frustration, grabbing the rabbit and shaking him.

"I don't know!" He shouted back.

"He says he knows you!" She shouted.

Cuddles' eyes widened as though he might remember something and his mouth moved, but nothing escaped it.

"What?" Flaky asked.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Cuddles stood shakily and they all went to the door. There was Sniffles, he was holding a clipboard and wore a look of scientific concern.

"W-what do you need, Sniffles?" Cuddles asked.

"Before your body rotted away… I found something interesting…"

"W-what?"

"You were still having mental activity, even after you were completely dead."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't honestly know," Said Sniffles. "But according to the charts, some part of your mind was causing chemical imbalances in your brain, despite the fact that you were clinically dead. Can I run some tests?"

"L-Later today."

"I'm sorry, Cuddles, but it will have to be now."

"I-…" Cuddles' sentence was cut off by a loud gagging sound as he fell to the floor.

He jolted about, foam forming at the ends of his mouth, and his eyes wide as he jerked. Sniffles quickly dropped his clipboard and began examining the rabbit. Petunia and Flaky could only watch in stupified terror.

"He's having a seizure!" Sniffles said. "Start moving the coffee table out of the way!"

"Why?" petunia cried.

"Just do it!" Sniffles shouted.

The two girls quickly moved the small table, creating a five foot by five foot area of free space. Sniffles quickly moved the rabbit over to the empty space, and massaged his throat a little bit.

"Does he have an Epi-pin?" Sniffles shouted.

Both of the girls looked in confusion at him. Sniffles cursed loudly as Cuddles continued to jerk and gag.

"Look around for a small capsule like thing that says "Epi-Pin" on it!" He shouted.

They quickly began searching but as another two minutes passed, Cuddles began to jerk less and seemed to be fading off.

"Find the friggin' thing!" Sniffles shouted, massaging the rabbit's throat again.

But they were both crying and both lost all energy as they huddled in worry, watching Sniffles try to keep Cuddles alive. He worked over several procedures they did not understand, or really care about. They just watched as Cuddles finally went still, his eyes wide and foam still running from his mouth.

After an hour of trying, Sniffles finally sighed, sitting back and rubbing sweat from his brow.

"He's dead." The anteater said.

"What happened?" Petunia asked in horror.

"He had some kind of seizure… I've never seen any body around here have such a violent one without any reason. I thought it was allergy, but you couldn't find an Epi-Pin, so he was unaware or just unprepared or prone to violent seizures."

"But… what could he be allergic to… there's nothing here that he hasn't been around his whole life." Flaky said, tears running down her face like waterfalls.

"I don't know," Sniffles said. "It may have had to do with the imbalances in his brain… but I've never known anything but the mind to stay with any tree friend after they've died… I'll run some tests now."

Both of the girls could see nothing could be done and watched in sadness as Sniffles closed Cuddles' eyes and took out a tube and took some sample of the saliva that had formed.

"He's got something in his pocket." Sniffles said pulling out an envelop and studying it, before handing it to Flaky. "I guess it's for you."

Flaky looked at it. _Porcupine. _Was written on the front. She opened it with shaky hands.

_ Sweet Porcupine, _

_I am the clown with the tear away face_

_Here in a flash and gone without a trace_

_I've seen what you did with the skunk, and I have left you some art at home to symbolize it. Look at it anyway that pleases you._

_

* * *

_

**The throat rubbing was originally used to keep a seizure victim from swallowing their tongue. I don't know that it is still used today. The swastika is in fact a symbol for warding off evil spirits. The blood thing, I kind of made up, but it may be real. **


	6. Chapter 5: Cut and Cuddly

**And now the moment I hope you all have been waiting for; the killer is finally revealed. But this is not the end. This chapter contains some explicit descriptions of gore.**

CHASING MY TAIL

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

ich finde dich  
- so gut  
ich steig dir nach  
du riechst so gut  
gleich hab ich dich

Jetzt hab ich dich

(I find you  
- so good  
I'm after you  
you smell so good  
I will have you soon

Now I have you)

-_Du Riechst so Gut _by Rammstein

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE: CUT AND CUDDLY

In your eyes, forsaken me

In your thoughts, forsaken me

In your heart, forsaken me

-_Chop Suey _by System of a Down

Better… well actually common sense kept Flaky from returning to her house. She had asked, and was granted permission to stay with Petunia and Giggles. The two girls had a sleep over planned, so they thought that it would do Flaky good to relax with her fellow sex, and perhaps confide. Giggles understood the whole thing with Cuddles, but her understanding led to things that made Flaky question weather the chipmunk flipping out would be worse.

"So, how was he?" Giggle asked, giddily.

"I… er… don't understand the question…" Flaky stammered.

"Cuddles!"

"What about him?"

"How was he in bed?"

Flaky was taken aback and began blushing heavily under her red fur. She suddenly began feeling even more anxious as she remembered that all three of the girls were sitting on Giggles' bed. Not that the other two girls mattered, but the mere thought of where she had been doing yesterday made her even worse.

"O-okay… I guess…" Flaky mumbled, twiddling her thumbs.

"You guess?" Giggles cried. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm not sure why I'm talking to you about this." Flaky replied crossly, sitting up and folding her arms.

"Oh please," Giggles said. "The boys talk about these kinds of things all the time."

"Well that's them."

"It could be more fun than you know."

"I don't think-…"

"Or are you just embarrassed because you were bad?" Giggles said, narrowing her eyes and a sly smile crossed her lips.

"Shut up!" Flaky snapped, resisting the urge to punch her arm like she did with the boys, but as the two girls began to laugh, she couldn't stop herself.

An hour or so passed as Flaky began to ease into the topic and they began happily chatting about boys, and their ups and downs. They were having a good time as midnight rolled in and they all started to yawn. But none wanted to break the flow of the good topics, so they all sat, bleary-eyed, and laughed. None of them really wanted to fall sleep, but the plan was probably set. If one passed out, the others would too. But a sudden tapping on the window snapped them from their fun. It was a small, but audible tapping, and they couldn't make out any shape behind the curtains.

They all immediately began to think of all the possible monsters that could be waiting out there. But only Flaky thought of a true monster. They all quickly fled into the closet, closing the door and huddled together in the dark. It did not need to be said what they thought was out there, or why they were hiding.

"He's after me!" Flaky cried in a low voice, her throat tightening in fear and she didn't need to clarify who she was referring to.

"He'll kill us just like Pop and Cub!" Giggles half screeched, her shout being muffled by Petunia's paw.

"Shh!" She hissed. "Hold on a second! Think. It's all of us against him, how can we lose?"

"He's probably got some kind of weapon!" Giggles whimpered.

"He probably has a gang out there with him!" Flaky cried.

"Alright, alright… but we have to make sure it's not just a tree limb or something." Petunia said, and the question was out.

Who would have to go and look?

They all looked from one another to the next and none spoke. Finally, Flaky did.

"Well, if he's after me, then I'll go so maybe he won't get you guys."

"You don't have-…"

"Too late." Flaky interrupted, no matter how loud her brain was screaming for her to accept that offer.

She eased the closet open just enough to slink out and closed it without a sound. Her heart pounded as she stepped around the bed and positioned herself right beside the window. The tapping occurred every few seconds and she still couldn't see through the curtain. She slowly lifted the edge enough for her eye and peeked out. The window exploded inward, and she was thrown back with a cry. She had managed to close her eye before the glass shredded through it, but she had been hit twice in the shoulder and the blood was turning her fur a darker shade of red.

She hit the ground, lying on her back just a few feet from the window where cold wind poured through. She opened her eyes and was met with cold, yellow-green ones. She saw barred teeth, sharp as the shards of glass that had cut into her. She let out another cry.

"Flip-…" But her scream caught in her throat.

As she looked upon the body in which the cold eyes and teeth were set, she saw yellow fur instead of green, and no clothes or hat, save a pair of bunny slippers. She looked back up at the face and saw Cuddles. His hands were like claws, ready to tear into her, flexed at his sides and raised. His teeth had suddenly become that of Evil and she thought she must be dreaming.

He growled and leapt at her, and she shielded her face, waiting for the impact but he instead let out a cry of surprise and she opened her eyes as she saw Cuddles fly away from her, and hit the wall only a few feet away. Petunia stood with a baseball bat in her paws and Giggles stood behind her with no weapon to speak of. Cuddles let out an ear piercing roar and as she looked at him, his mouth was foaming and his body was shaking as he stood. She suddenly thought of the seizure he had had earlier that had killed him. She didn't think he could have spawned so fast and yet here he was. But her thoughts ended when he began to speak as he stepped closer.

"I am the one hiding under your bed

Teeth ground sharp, and eyes glowing red." His voice was familiar and she could almost here the music.

She scrambled off the floor as he attacked Petunia, pushing her to the ground and pushing the bat against her throat. She choked and pushed back as he overpowered her. Giggles tried to pull his paws away but he placed his foot down on the bat to hold it Petunia's throat and grabbed Giggles his paws almost tearing through her skin.

She screamed as he brought his sharp teeth to her throat and bit into her. She gargled blood which fell from her mouth as though there were holes in a dam in her throat. He pushed her away and tore back with his head, ripping out a gleaming, vein-covered mass of flesh from her. She fell to the floor, blood quickly pooling in a five foot radius around her body and the cavern of shredded meat that had supported her head seemed to be screaming at Flaky with jagged teeth.

Cuddles stomped hard on the bat and it snapped in half over Petunia's throat, a popping sound like a bone was all that told Flaky that a large artery had exploded. Petunia tried to make noise but she choked on the blood pouring form her mouth. Flaky thought that the precision of the next move that Cuddles used was not only horrifying but also something only perhaps a marine could do. He placed his heels against her shoulders and with a quick bit of foot work, slammed her head against the leg of the bed. Without wasting a second, he did a twisting motion with his leg as he brought his foot down on her forehead, smashing through. A loud cracking erupted with the sickening sound of squelching, and Petunia's head was crushed in, blood spewing like a fountain from her severed neck. He brought his foot from the gore, spitting out what he had taken from Giggles and turned to her.

"I am the one hiding under your stairs

Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair." He continued, his cold voice finally registering in her mind.

He took her in his grip and threw her down on the bed, standing over her. His smiled was tangled with flesh and fur.

"Porcupine… weren't expecting me?" The stalker's voice erupted from Cuddles' throat.

"C-Cuddles… what are you doing?" Flaky cried, tears rolling down her face.

"There is no Cuddles," He said, his face coming inches from hers and she could smell the putrid stench of death on his breath. "Cuddles couldn't handle what was inside."

**I'm playing dramatic music as I write this. Please review.**


	7. Chapter 6: My Immortal

**Next chapter up. Please enjoy and review. This chapter has not yet been edited.**

CHASING MY TAIL

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

Ich warte bis es dunkel ist  
dann fass ich an die nasse Haut  
verrate mich nicht  
oh siehst du nicht die Brücke brennt  
hör auf zu schreien und wehre dich nicht  
weil sie sonst auseinander bricht

(I wait until it is dark  
then I touch your wet skin  
don't betray me  
oh don't you see the bridge is burning  
stop screaming and don't resist  
because otherwise it will break apart)

-_Du Riechst So Gut _by Rammstein

* * *

CHAPTER SIX: MY IMMORTAL

Nachts, wenn alles schläft bin ich der Hüter deiner Unschuld

Nachts, wenn alles schläft geb ich gut Acht dass dir nichts geschieht

Nachts, wenn alles schläft küss ich das Salz aus deinen Wunden

Nachts - tief nachts

(At night, when everyone is asleep I am the guardian of your innocence  
At night, when everyone is asleep I'll give you good care that nothing happens  
At night, when everyone is asleep when I kiss your wounds from the salt  
At night - deep at night)

-_HerzBlut _by _MegaHerz_

Flaky opened her eyes slowly, unsure of where she was or how she'd gotten there. It was dark and only the light that streamed through a window over her head let her see the horror around her. Blood was splattered and dried on the walls, arranged me strange, contorting patterns and faces that leered and buried fear deep in her soul. She looked to what she was laying on, which appeared to be a small bed, which was exactly parallel with a closed door.

Strange shapes in the dark seemed to be instruments of some sort that could not be identified in the dim light. She began to look over her body, for any signs of abuse. She had a scrap or two that seemed to be from dragging, but other than that she didn't appear hurt. She got off the bed and worked her legs a little bit, but felt nothing in her stomach or lower. She felt relieved and calmer; now that she was pretty sure she had not been raped or manhandled in anyway. But footsteps outside quickened her heartbeat and she quickly lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes and barely breathing at all. She heard the door open and some kind of muttering began, in a low deep voice. She opened one eye a crack and saw Cuddles; his eyes still those of Flippy's and his body still looking stronger than it ever had. He had a small suitcase grasped in one paw that he placed at the foot of the bed. He began doing something with one of the instruments in the background.

"Open your eyes, Porcupine." He said all of a sudden. "I know you're awake."

She opened them and reluctantly sat up and tightened the covers around her body, staring at his shadow in fear.

"What are you going to do with me?" She asked.

He came out of the shadows, holding a vial of some dark, thick liquid and his evil smile was gone, the teeth had retreated into a frown that had plastered itself on his face.

"I've never understood you creatures," He said. "So worried about what's coming in the near and distant future. Not caring about what is happening now until it's gone."

"I…" Flaky was confused by this and felt she involuntarily shrug "Okay…?"

"The death of one is a tragedy," Cuddles replied, or the creature inside Cuddles. "The death of a million is just a statistic."*****

Flaky couldn't help but find the line familiar, some song that she had found offensive but she couldn't place.

"So what are you?" Flaky finally asked.

"I wish I knew." The growling voice said.

She was still frightened by the creature, but she could see Cuddles and it felt like she was merely having a conversation, even if it was a conversation with a psychotic killer. Cuddles opened his mouth wide, his sharp teeth gleaming in the light; and un-corked the vial. She watched in disgust as it drained the dark liquid and threw the glass against the wall where it shattered.

"What is that?" She asked.

"Poison, would you care for some?" He replied, picking up the suitcase and setting it on the edge of the bed.

"Why are you drinking that?"

"To keep Cuddles dead." The creature replied, opening the suitcase.

"Why do-…"

"So that I can exist," The creature sighed, obviously annoyed at her question. "Will you shut your damn mouth, Porcupine?"

She didn't want to anger the monster so she complied but she knew she would burst if she didn't voice one more question.

"There's one answer I have the right to know." She said.

"Talk of rights," The animal said. "And you will find that you have less than a speck of dust."

"Why me?" She asked.

"Porcupine…" He murmured. "I'm going to be honest with you, but only if you're going to believe me."

"What else can I do?"

"I am what you might call; a reaper. Time and space is all very relative, and sometimes, things don't happen like they're suppose to."

"Well there's nothing you can do about things like that."

"Ah, but that's my job," He replied, pulling out a strange pair of scissors that were wickedly curved. "I fix the variable. And you are that variable Porcupine."

Flaky was silent for a moment, going over this in her mind, trying to make sense of it.

"Then why are you in Cuddles?"

"Cuddles was a variable."

"Was?"

"I am the reason Cuddles is here." The creature said, polishing the scissors in his paws.

"Was he in the war with Flippy?"

"Yes."

"Then you're like Cuddles' Evil side." She said.

"No. Cuddles is gone. He never lived here."

"What are you talking about? He's always been here."

"I didn't save Cuddles during the war," The creature said. "He died when he wasn't suppose to."

She thought for a moment and suddenly began shaking. It was crazy, impossible… but the rising of the dead here, so why couldn't this happen?

"So all this time we've been talking to Cuddles… it was just you?"

"Almost… part of Cuddles stuck to me. I was suppose to be an evil side of him, but he died and only people in this town can come back. Part of him hung on me."

"Okay…" She murmured. After a long silence as he polished his tools. "Then what's with the art aspect of you killing people?"

"I've said too much." He replied. "But your time to do as you are commanded to by the forces of nature, has come."

* * *

***The song is "The Fight Song" by Marilyn Manson. I've been alluding to a lot of things in this story, simply because it ties to a lot of real world things.**

**So, review and let me know what you think. Surprised? **


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